Just The Girl - Vignettes
by SnarkWolf
Summary: A sort-of prequel/midquel/sequel series to Just the Girl. Can work as a standalone work, but I strongly recommend reading Just the Girl first.
1. The Sound of Love's Beginning

**Hey guys. So, I've wanted to write a sequel fic for Just the Girl for quite a while now. But it's only now I've gotten to get down to business with it. I'm in the progress of writing the next two chapters, both happening during Yaya and Tsubomi's relationship. **

**Just a heads-up, since I'm in college now and I have little free time, and not to mention I have a shitload of other fics that I should really update (fuck me, right?), updates will be slow. So I apologize in advance.**

**Anyway, this first chapter, in short, is my interpretation of how Yaya and Tsubomi met and how Tsubomi got into the Spica Saintly Chorus. **

* * *

The first day of school is always quite dragging, especially for young Tsubomi Okuwaka.

This was the first time she ever had to go away to school. Her parents wanted her to develop a streak of independence as early as possible, so Tsubomi, being an obedient child, followed suit and entered Spica, one of the three prestigious schools atop Astraea Hill.

"You can do this…you can do this…you're a big girl…" Tsubomi repeated in a mantra inside her head once she started walking.

Behind her, there happened to be a tall, dark-haired girl who was running to catch up to a blonde-haired girl who was just ahead.

"Coming through!" yelled the tall girl as she shoved the pink-haired girl out of the way and onto the ground to reach her friend.

"What the hell?" grunted Tsubomi as she stood up and wiped off the dust from her uniform. Unfortunately for her, she missed her chance to spot the girl who pushed her. It was just a blur.

Tsubomi really wanted to run up to her, look at her in the face, and show her a thing or two.

"If I find out who shoved me, I'm going to tear her a new…"

She clenched her fist tightly, but almost immediately let it go after realizing it wasn't really worth her time.

"Sigh, whatever. This campus is big, so there's a chance I'm not going to see her."

* * *

Later, after setting her stuff down in her room, Tsubomi decided to explore campus. When she went to her school building, she saw a flyer for the Spica Saintly Chorus posted on a wall. The auditions were to take place in the choir room and to start after class.

This particularly interested her since she grew up loving music and performing, courtesy of her stage actress mother. However, it seemed she was a little apprehensive about the whole thing.

"Hi. Are you going to try out?" asked a soft voice.

Tsubomi turned her head to check if the question was directed at her. She saw the blonde-haired girl.

"Well, I'm planning to."

"You should. Being in the Chorus is very enjoyable. By the way, my name is Hikari Konohana, third year and a member of the Chorus. And you are?"

"I'm Tsubomi Okuwaka, first year."

"Pleasure to meet you, Tsubomi-chan. I hope that you feel welcome in your first year here in Spica."

"I hope so too, despite the fact that I got shoved down almost the second I got here."

Hikari's eyes widened in surprise, "Goodness! Who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know…" Tsubomi scratched the back of her head.

"Hey, Hikari! Where are you?" called a voice not too far away.

"I'm in front of the choir room, Yaya-chan," Hikari answered.

The other girl walked over. She was tall, had black hair, and brown eyes. She also carried an aura that was a little unapproachable and somehow manages to be the opposite as well.

Tsubomi looked at her and weird things began to happen to her.

Upon seeing this girl for the first time, her pupils dilated, her hands started to shake, her lips trembled, and her heart rate suddenly went up. Within seconds, her entire being was stiff. She had never felt this way about another person before and she wasn't sure what the hell was going on.

"Hm?" Yaya observed to the pinkette, "Who's she?"

"This is Tsubomi Okuwaka from the first year. She's planning to audition for the chorus," she introduced the younger girl to her friend, "And Tsubomi-chan, this is Yaya Nanto, also a member of the chorus."

The tall girl brought her face closer to the first-year's face. Tsubomi's heart beat faster.

"What the—she's so close to me…what do I do?" she pondered

"Really now? This little shrimp?" Yaya questioned rather rudely.

Almost immediately, Tsubomi took umbrage and was steaming.

"Little shrimp?" she clenched her teeth, "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Hikari's jaw dropped a little when her underclassman dropped an F-bomb. Rather than insulted, Yaya felt amused that Tsubomi was standing up to her.

"Whoa, Hikari. This one's got a mouth on her," she boasted to the blonde girl.

In response, Tsubomi thumped Yaya on the forehead.

"Ow! Why you little…"

Once both girls were in a fighting stance, Hikari intervened by getting in between the girls and blocking them with her hands to prevent any casualties.

"Calm down, both of you," the blonde girl protested.

"Only if she apologizes for thumping my forehead!"

"No way! Take back what you said about me being a shrimp! Or else…"

"Or else what? You're just a child! What could you possibly do to me?" Yaya taunted.

"I'll show you…" Tsubomi raised her fist.

"Girls!" Hikari raised her voice a little bit, catching the attention of Yaya and Tsubomi, "Yaya-chan, you don't want to get caught picking on first-years, do you? And Tsubomi-chan, you don't want to cause trouble on your first day, do you?"

"No…" the other two girls answered in unison.

"Good. Now, get along, you two. And Yaya-chan, we should probably get going. It's fifteen minutes to Math class."

Yaya warned Tsubomi, "I'll deal with you later."

"I'd like to see you try, Yaya-senpai." she answered back.

As soon as Hikari and Yaya were out of sight, Tsubomi began to softly bang her head on the wall.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why couldn't you keep your cool, Tsubomi? Why did you make a bad first impression?" she asked herself, "Oh, now I know why! Yaya-senpai is so rude and boorish and unruly and…"

She looked at the raven-haired girl once more from behind.

"…beautiful. Just before she insulted me, what in the hell was I feeling? My heart was beating and I couldn't stop looking at her. Is this…a crush?"

Once she thought about that, Tsubomi shook her head in disbelief.

"No, it can't be! She called me a little shrimp and I thumped her in the forehead! Is it even possible to still like a person after that?"

Right, because real life is like a shoujo manga and the way to first encounter the boy or girl of your dreams is to meet cute. Trust me, that meeting was anything but cute.

"D'oh! Quit your sarcasm, narrator!"

Okay, but you're going to have to do something about those feelings, Tsubomi.

"Sigh, you're right. Still, my audition is the matter here and I'm going to concentrate on that. If I get in, I'll be able to perform and be with Yaya-sen—

Damn it, no! Don't think about that!"

Hahaha.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Tsubomi was about to audition in the choir room. No matter what, she was determined to get in. She entered the choir room, ready to take it on.

The choir room had a large chalkboard nailed to one of the walls and there was a huge space, where she was to perform for the core members. On the other side, there was a long table where two of the core members, Kumi Morinaga and Ami Sanada, were seated to oversee the auditions. Tsubomi made it to the large space.

"Good afternoon," greeted Morinaga, "Please introduce yourself and why you are here."

"My name is Tsubomi Okuwaka and I'm here to audition for the Chorus."

"What are you going to sing for us today?" asked Sanada.

"_On My Own_ from _Les Misérables_."

"All right, Okuwaka-san. Whenever you're ready."

Tsubomi took a deep breath.

_On my own_

_Pretending he's beside me_

_All alone_

_I walk with him till morning_

_Without him_

_I feel his arms around me_

_And when I lose my way I close my eyes_

_And he has found me _

During this time, Yaya was walking near the choir room and was stopped in her tracks when she heard somebody singing.

"That voice…whose voice is it?" she questioned as she stopped to keep listening. Inside, the core members observed her well.

_In the rain the pavement shines like silver_

_All the lights are misty in the river_

_In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight_

_And all I see is him and me forever and forever _

_And I know it's only in my mind_

_That I'm talking to myself and not to him_

_And although I know that he is blind_

_Still I say, there's a way for us_

"I've never heard a voice like that…It's beautiful," Yaya continued to listen just as Tsubomi was about to belt out the next lines.

_I love him_

_But when the night is over_

_He is gone_

_The river's just a river_

_Without him_

_The world around me changes_

_The trees are bare and everywhere_

_The streets are full of strangers_

_I love him_

_But every day I'm learning_

_All my life_

_I've only been pretending_

_Without me_

_His world will go on turning_

_A world that's full of happiness_

_That I have never known_

The dark-haired girl was in awe with that particular note. Every time she tried to sing that part of _On My Own_, she just couldn't hit it right. The girl auditioning inside was one she was jealous of and impressed with.

_I love him_

_I love him_

_I love him_

_But only on my own_

After hitting that last note, Tsubomi found herself hyperventilating. The core members whispered to one another regarding her chance in the Chorus. There was a mix of hopeful and doubtful looks between them, making the first-year a little nervous.

"Thank you very much, Okuwaka-san. We will let you know if you passed your audition in a few days," informed Morinaga.

"Thank you for having me," bowed Tsubomi shortly before beginning to exit. Yaya quickly hid by the wall when the younger girl opened the door and went on her way back to the Dorms. Yaya sighed in relief when she wasn't discovered.

"Tsubomi? The girl with the stunning voice is Tsubomi?" the girl wondered in disbelief. Just then, her ears caught a conversation going on between Sanada and Morinaga.

"Kumi, what do you think?"

"I don't know, Ami…I mean, she can hit the high notes pretty well, but isn't she a little bit too young?"

"That's what I thought. She's really good, but she might overshadow the other singers. And she'll get picked on for her age. It's probably best if she wasn't in," Sanada suggested reluctantly.

"Maybe you're right…"

Yaya was appalled with what she was hearing. Sure, she underestimated and nearly brawled with Tsubomi earlier, but the stunning performance she gave was proof enough that she has what it takes to be in the Spica Saintly Chorus. Impulsively, she opened the door to filibuster the two core members.

"You're making a big mistake by not letting her in," Yaya called them out, surprising them.

"Nanto-san? Were you listening the whole time?" Morinaga interrogated her.

"Yes, I was. And I heard Tsubomi sing. I've never heard such a remarkable rendition of _On My Own_ until now. She deserves to be in this choir."

"If we let her in, everyone else might question her credibility as a vocalist and since she's a kid, she might lose focus and undermine the group. We're just trying to protect her," Sanada argued.

"No disrespect, but that's bullshit," Yaya scoffed, "Being a kid doesn't make Tsubomi any less of a talented girl. And besides, one more voice will make a richer harmony. Isn't that what we need to make this choir?"

"Nanto-san, why do you care so much anyway? It's not like you know her," Morinaga questioned her.

"I kind of do. I met her this morning. She's not exactly whom I'd call my favorite kind of person, but even people like that deserve a chance to do what they're good at and be loved for it. Please reconsider. Let her in."

After her statement, Yaya left the choir room, leaving the two core members to decide Tsubomi's fate.

* * *

A few days had passed and Tsubomi was ultimately chosen as a member of the Chorus. As the pinkette was mingling amongst other members of the Chorus, Yaya was talking with Hikari, admitting what she did days ago.

"No way. You actually convinced Morinaga-san and Sanada-san to let her in?" Hikari grinned.

"Yes, but you can't tell Tsubomi. Ever," Yaya insisted.

"Okay, but I'm surprised that you actually care."

"I did for the sake of the choir," Yaya denied, "and nothing else."

Hikari wasn't buying it, but she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

After Tsubomi was done socializing with other people, she walked over to Hikari and Yaya. She slightly blushed at the sight of the taller girl, but pouted just before the latter could notice and turned to Hikari.

"Hey, Tsubomi. Congratulations on passing your audition," the blonde girl commended her underclassman.

"Thank you, Senpai. I was scared I wouldn't make it, but I did it. I made it," beamed Tsubomi.

Hikari faintly elbowed Yaya to coax her to acknowledge Tsubomi.

"Um…good for you," muttered Yaya.

"Uh…thanks," Tsubomi answered, trying not to blush again. Just a little acknowledgement from Yaya made Tsubomi feel warm inside. Because of that, her attempt to not blush failed. And it was noticeable.

"Why are you blushing?" questioned the raven-haired girl.

"Can you two keep a secret?" she asked, earning nods from the two other girls.

"Another reason why I joined the Chorus is because there's someone I like here."

"Really? Who is it?" Hikari's eyes widened.

"I…can't say."

Judging by the expression on Tsubomi's face, Yaya was deducing the person she likes was right in front of her. She then put two and two together. Or, so she thought.

"It's Hikari, isn't it?" Yaya guessed, making a big question mark appear above Hikari's head.

Tsubomi was aghast, "Wait, what?"

"Admit it, you think Hikari's cute. Everyone does."

Hikari chuckled, "Well, Tsubomi. I'm flattered, but there's someone else I like though. I hope you understand."

"No wait, you've got it all wrong! I don't—"

But before she could finish, a classmate of Yaya and Hikari's called them over.

Tsubomi was wincing at first, but after a few seconds, breathed a sigh of relief.

"I guess it's better if Yaya-senpai doesn't know how I feel about her; at least; not yet. This is the first crush I've ever had. I don't want to mess it up."

She then watched Yaya chat with her friends and cracked a smile.

"But still…I have hope you'll like me back one day, Yaya-senpai."

* * *

**Author's note:**

**- Yeah, I broke the fourth wall.**

**- I plan to again in the future, but not as often. After all, I'm no Deadpool. **

**- I was originally going to use"On The Street Where You Live" from _My Fair Lady_ for the audition piece. And now I'm thinking "Reflection" from _Mulan_. Dang it.**


	2. Dirty Little Secret

**So now that I'm on semestral break, I guess that means I have more time to write. This is where Tsubomi admits her feelings for Yaya to Hikari.**

* * *

After the week's last practice, Yaya and Hikari were headed to the cafeteria for lunchtime. Yaya was slouching and holding her stomach while she was walking.

"I am so hungry," the dark-haired girl muttered.

"Don't fret, Yaya-chan, we'll eat soon. Just maybe next time, don't skip breakfast," Hikari reminded her, "It's a good thing you didn't lose too much of your stamina during practice."

"That is one mistake I'm never making again."

By the time they reach the cafeteria, they lined up to get their food. Since they got there early, fortunately for them, the line wasn't very long. Hikari got two sandwiches, while Yaya got tonkatsu, shredded beef, potato salad, and a large glass of lemonade.

Just before they were about to eat, Hikari spotted a wandering Tsubomi carrying her food searching for somewhere to sit. Hikari, wanting to help her out, came up to her to offer her a seat on their table.

"Hi, Tsubomi-chan," she greeted her junior.

"Oh, hello, Hikari-senpai," Tsubomi smiled back.

"Would you like to sit with us at our table?" Hikari asked her.

Tsubomi was wondering what "us" meant until she briefly glanced at said table, where she saw her crush sitting there, tapping her fingers and waiting for her friend to come back as she ate. The pinkette was not about to waste this opportunity to sit next to Yaya.

"Uh…yeah sure," Tsubomi shyly answered, making sure Yaya didn't notice her.

Hikari then led her to their table. Yaya seem less than pleased that the girl she finds bratty was going to sit with them. But since she didn't want to make Hikari unhappy by being mean, she held herself back from making a Regina George-esque comment as the younger girl approached.

"Hello, Tsubomi," Yaya said a little begrudgingly.

"Good day, Yaya-senpai," Tsubomi replied tersely before sitting down. Although she was happy to be near the person she likes, she'd rather not show it because of the fear she wouldn't be taken seriously.

Speaking of which, Yaya was still under the impression that Tsubomi has a crush on Hikari, so all the more reason to be wary of her. So, in order to "discourage" her, she decided to playfully feed her friend.

"Here, Hikari. You should try some of my potato salad. It's really good," Yaya smirked as she held a spoonful towards Hikari. Tsubomi's eyebrows were slowly furrowing out of jealousy.

"Oh, thank you, Yaya-chan. But that's not really necessary—oomph!" Hikari tried to bargain with her, but she was ultimately fed the spoonful. The blonde girl shifted her glance to Tsubomi, who looked like she was clawing the table and biting her lower lip. Something was up with the pinkette and she wanted to find out.

"Um, Yaya-chan?" Hikari said after swallowing that bite.

"Yes?" the taller girl blinked.

"Uh…I just realized I forgot to pick up a drink. Could you get me a glass of mango juice, please?"

"Sure, no problem," Yaya grinned as she petted Hikari on the head before going on her way, much to the chagrin of the latter. Once her friend was out of sight, she turned her attention to Tsubomi.

"Is everything okay?" Hikari questioned her.

"Huh? Um, yes," Tsubomi snapped out of her irritated state when her upperclassman caught her attention.

"Are you sure? Because when Yaya-chan was feeding me, you seemed a little bit…well, annoyed."

"You noticed, didn't you?" Tsubomi slightly froze up, now that she got caught.

Hikari nodded, "Yes, I did. It's okay if you like me, Tsubomi-chan, but I'm afraid my heart belongs to somebody else. I'm sorry," she apologized.

Tsubomi shook her head, wanting to clear up the misunderstanding, "No, Hikari-senpai, that's not the case. It's not you I have feelings for…" she admitted.

Then we go inside Hikari's mind, where there was an imaginary meter and the arrow went from pointing to "I Thought That Meant…" to "I Totally Get It Now". Then we zoom back out.

"So…you actually like Yaya-chan?"

Tsubomi took a deep breath, "Yes, I do."

All had become clear to Hikari now. When Tsubomi was blushing while she was around them during the first club meeting, she was actually thinking about Yaya. And while Yaya fed her that spoonful, Tsubomi was jealous of the attention the blonde girl was getting. Hikari was more than willing to be the younger girl's confidant and she began to talk to her regarding these feelings.

"I see. However, if you don't mind me asking, how did you develop feelings for Yaya-chan?"

"I don't know if this makes any sense, but I think I liked her the first time I saw her. There's just something about her that caught my eye and I felt attracted to her. And I haven't noticed anyone else since."

"Hold on," Hikari stopped her for a few seconds, "Even after that scuffle, that didn't change your feelings?"

"No, it didn't," Tsubomi answered sincerely, "Even if she was rude to me… I don't get it. How do I still like someone who was rude to me?"

"Well, in her defense, you did use the F-word on her."

"I know, but she started it."

"I kind of agree with you. That wasn't very nice of her either. But I can assure you that Yaya-chan isn't like that all the time. She's actually a good person the rest of the time."

"Really now? Tsubomi gave an inquisitive look.

"Definitely. Yaya-chan was the one who motivated me to join the Chorus after hearing me sing. And she also helps me with my difficult subjects and tries to cheer me up when I feel down. Point is, Yaya-chan might be intimidating at first, but once you get through to her, she'll be loyal to you, no matter what."

After hearing all that, Tsubomi's feelings for Yaya started to grow a little bit more. However, she believed that she would probably never see that side of her, since she doesn't even know how to get through to her and that Yaya probably hates her. Or so she thinks.

"That sounds really nice, Hikari-senpai. But I don't think I'll ever get to witness that."

Hikari was a little shocked from Tsubomi's negativity.

"Why ever not?"

"Well, for starters, she thinks I'm a bratty princess because of that bad first impression. Second, she only wants to hang out with you. And lastly, Yaya-senpai is the first crush I've ever had. So I'll probably screw up if I confess too soon or even confess at all, she'll reject me, I'll be humiliated, and my love life will be shattered before it's even begun," Tsubomi answered, hyperventilating. Hikari immediately comforted her by taking her by the hand and patting it.

"Hey, hey. Don't panic. Just relax," she reassured her, "You don't know for sure what's going to happen, so there's no reason for you to jump to conclusions. I know you feel. I'm too scared to tell the girl I like about my feelings as well. But there's always a tiny voice in my head that tells me that I'll find my way to her and she'll like me back. If it could work for me, then it will work for you."

"…I just really want Yaya-senpai to like me back, Hikari-senpai. Or at least notice me, even just a little bit."

"Give it time, Tsubomi-chan. And if you want to talk about it, you can always come to me."

"I will. But promise me you won't tell Yaya-senpai about this."

"I promise. And I'll support you all the way."

"Thank you, Senpai."

Just then, Yaya came back, holding the glass of mango juice Hikari requested from her.

"Phew, that was a long line," Yay noted, "But at least I was able to get you the juice, Hikari."

"Thank you very much, Yaya-chan. I was worried that you might've been troubled."

"No trouble at all," Yaya assured her, "By the way, what were you two talking about before I got here?"

Hikari stopped sipping for a second, "Um, well…we were talking about Western music."

Tsubomi finished the answer, "Yes, we were. I told her about my older sister liking this Irish girl group who wore denim all the time. Weird, right? Ahahaha…"

"Maybe, but not as weird as you, Tsubomi," Yaya joked, causing cross-popping veins out of the younger girl's head.

"Aiyaa! Why do you have to be so rude, Yaya-senpai?" she questioned her.

"Hey, no need to cover up your weirdness with anger."

As Hikari watched the two girls bicker, she couldn't help but think that these two were made for each other.

* * *

**Author's note**

**- Keep in mind that I'm not exactly going to keep things in order, so anything goes here...**

**- ...So, that means anybody can request anything as long as the original story was read first.**

**- I have three other stories in progress.**


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